


Beneath The Mask

by AngelicPenguins



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Action, Adventure, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Comedy, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, F/M, Female Protagonist, Friendship, Novelization, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-15
Updated: 2017-06-15
Packaged: 2018-11-14 13:50:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 13,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11209374
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngelicPenguins/pseuds/AngelicPenguins
Summary: (AU) Akira Kurusu had always obeyed. Was it the school, her parents, the law, she followed without word. If someone told her not to, she would listen. She was diligent – never rebelled. But when she saw the woman being harassed, a newfound sense of justice overcame her and she rushed in. FeMC.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hoho, this is my first work that I posted online. I hope you like it.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own PERSONA. It rightfully belongs to Atlus.

 

" _The chains that break you, are the chains that make you. And the chains that make you, are the chains you break._

― Anthony Liccione

* * *

Loud yelling and banging came from the other side of the room where the raven haired girl sat. She was curled into a ball at the furthest corner, hugging herself tightly as she held thick black framed glasses with her fingers. She fidgeted her toes, rocking herself slightly as she tried to block the agonizing voices which shook the household.

"It's all your fault she acted like that! She took it from **your** side of the family." A man's voice – her father, boomed from the other side of the door, making the girl flinch slightly.

_"_ My fault?! Are you hearing yourself right now? If you could only see how strained I am taking care of our child and her father – god knows where he is, is gone when I'm in need." A woman's shrilly voice followed. The girl's mother passed the blame to her neglectful husband, unaware of her own faults as well.

"I work day and night just to support this family. Do you think I have time?"

_"_ I work day and night as well, it's not only **you.** "

Both the adults continued to argue, passing the blame each time they had a chance. Akira sighed deeply as they continued to fight. She wanted to disappear. She wanted the earth to eat her up. She felt useless and afraid, no one to help and comfort her. Despite explaining to her parents what really happened, the two adults both turned a blind eye and shut their ears, believing the other party who was the one truly in fault of the situation.

_"I'll sue you!" The man grunted; face red from alcohol and anger._

The scene kept replaying in her mind. How she defended a woman from being harassed from a drunken man but backlashed instead.

Akira vaguely remembered much that night. The woman and the man's face were blurry. Everything came in fast as adrenaline pumped through her as she tried to help. It was sudden, dashing forward and crying out to the assailant ' _Stop!'._ Fluid moments came after and she heard the police sirens. They cuffed her and took her to custody without question.

Few days passed and the court had sentenced her into probation, guilty for assault and terrorizing. It doesn't matter if she was a girl, the law is law and it punished her greatly. When her school got a hold of her criminal record, they immediately expelled her on the spot. Her friends, or at least she thought they were, avoided her immensely. The entire neighborhood shunned her away. People talked behind her back and the Kurusu family name was tainted.

She wasn't welcomed.

Akira had always obeyed. Was it the school, her parents, the law, she followed without word. If someone told her not to, she would listen. She was diligent – never rebelled. She acted rationally, listening to her parents, ' _Don't involve yourself if you aren't involved'_ policy. But when she saw the woman being harassed, a newfound sense of justice overcame her and she rushed in to help.

_"Do you regret it?"_

She felt a metallic taste in her mouth and she realized she bit the side of her cheeks hard.

_"Don't you think that it isn't fair?"_

She grunted, feeling a little dizzy. She dropped her glasses and covered her face, wincing slightly as the dizziness washed her. The dizziness had been prominent now. It started last week but it became more frequent.

_"Probably because I'm stressed."_ Akira concluded.

_"We'll meet soon."_ The lightheadedness slowly faded and Akira sighed contently. She'll have to visit a doctor soon in case it gets worse.

Akira hadn't noticed but the yelling stopped. Loud footsteps thumped near her door and suddenly bolted open revealing a woman with a large scowl on her face.

"Pack your bags, you're going to Tokyo."

* * *

She marveled at the metropolitan city with beaming high buildings wired with colorful advertisements and busy streets full of beeping cars and shuffling fast phased crossroads. She held her phone tightly, afraid that it might slip and become lost from the bustling of the people.

"So this is Shibuya..." Akira mumbled, adjusting her glasses. The girl suddenly felt small compared to the large city.

Akira was not new to city life. Living in a suburban area near a city proved as a fact. Her school was located in the center of the city made her accustomed to walking in a particularly large and dense city, but to compare her hometown to Tokyo, especially to Shibuya area wasn't a fair fight. She hadn't seen a large portion of people walk in the same crossing without trouble. The idea was new to the raven haired girl. She did try to prepare herself when she came to Tokyo, but she couldn't help but be amaze.

She stopped walking and stood by the corner of the street in the Shibuya crossing with many people waiting for the traffic light to turn green.

"What? Are you for real?" The female student's giggled loudly, taking Akira's attention. "Mental shutdowns?"

"Hey, it's the truth!" The female student's friend pouted.

The red light beeped, signaling it's time running up.

"Seriously, you read too much occult stuff."

The red light shifted to yellow and finally to green and people walked pass Akira at a hurry. The raven haired girl blinked in surprise and followed the crowd.

Taking out her phone from her blazer pocket, she opened her GPS to search for Yongen-Jaya.

_"You'll be staying at Sojiro Sakura's home." Her mother grunted while instructing the movers to carry Akira's luggage._

_"Listen to what he says and_ _**don't** _ _do anything stupid." Her father warned._

_Akira nodded quietly. Her eyes shifted down, upset of leaving the place she called home._

_"What? What's wrong?" Her mother asked._

_"I-I... don't want to leave home." Akira mumbled, eyes not daring to look at her mother's eyes._

_"Don't be so selfish. You should be grateful a school accepted you considering your_ _**record** _ _." Her mother snapped taking a little emphasis on the word 'record'. "Honestly, I didn't raise you like this."_

_Akira felt guilty complaining. She nodded and apologized._

"Sogiro Sakura..." She whispered, eyes cast down, staring the map that lead to Yongen-Jaya.

She wondered who her new guardian was. She hoped he was nice since he agreed to let her live in his home for a year. But it could also mean he could take advantage of her considering her situation. She warned herself not to easily be naive and strengthened her guard.

An app suddenly popped in her screen, removing Akira's concentration. The application had an eye with a star on its pupil and plain red and black for its background. Akira found it slightly eerie and frowned. She stopped walking to focus on the strange application, tapping it repeatedly to see what it does.

_"A virus?"_ She thought.

It grew larger, covering the map in the background. Akira panicked and repeatedly tapped the application again, trying to remove it from her phone. She tried dragging it away and swiping it but it it wouldn't budge.

_"What's happening?"_ She tried fiddling her phone. Closing it and opening it again but the application was still there.

She eyed the traffic lights to see if she still had time, but to her surprise she noticed everyone seemed to turn into statues. Her eyes widened with confusion. She shifted her gaze around, observing the area around her. Everyone stood still like time had stopped. The birds levitated in the air like they were tied, people stopped walking, and commercials aired on the buildings were paused and no sound could be heard around the usual bustling street.

_'Is this a prank?'_ Akira shook her head. _'No it's too elaborated.'_

Flames burst across the street in a spectrum of blue. A female voice laughed gleefully as the monster sprouted, its wings stretching out widely covered with blue flames. Akira silently gasped as she saw the entity marveled around. She tried to move but her feet were stuck to the ground, gluing her to the spot. The figure opened it's mouth and eyes and graze at Akira across its location. Its mouth curved upward, smirking at the dazed girl.

_"I am thou_ , _thou art I."_ It spoke in an intoxicating voice.

Akira's eyes widened as an image of her grinning maniacally with eyes glowing haunting yellow. Her head suddenly felt heavy and her body became numb. She tumbled slightly unable to keep her balance. She supported her head with her hand, sweat trickling down her forehead. She gasped and shut her eyes tightly. Her heartbeat accelerated and she had trouble breathing. Multiple of questions crossed her mind, but seemingly so, she couldn't concentrate very well. She felt afraid, but at the same time relieved in a mysterious way. The monster looked frightening, yet she felt drawn to it unconsciously.

_"We shall meet soon, trickster."_ It laughed boisterously, echoing inside Akira's mind.

She tried to call out for the monster but a wave of nausea swept into her.

"Urk." Akira wheezed, holding her ringing head with her hand.

"Uh, miss? Are you alright?" A man's worried voice filled her ears. Steady hands held Akira in place, preventing her to stumble again. She leaned graciously at the support.

Akira opened her eyes and slowly looked up. The street was bustling again, but few people stopped and stared at her. She blinked in astonishment. Wasn't it...? No never mind.

She glanced at her side and eyed the worried man supporting her – no he was the same age as her and guessed he attended a different school. She took note of his shaggy light brown hair, crimson eyes and his rather _refreshing_ face.

It didn't take Akira long enough to realize that she was getting late to meet her new guardian. Her eyes widened and she gently pushed the handsome boy aside. Akira bowed deeply to the boy and rushed to the train station.

"Hey wait!" The boy called out but the crowded street enveloped the raven haired girl.

Looking at her phone for guidance, she noticed the creepy app still there so she dragged it down and deleted it.

She hopped inside the train leading to Yongen-Jaya and hurriedly took at seat near the exit. She was lucky enough to find an empty seat as it was currently rush hour and many people were filling in the cart at incredible rate. She took a glimpse at the clock of her phone.

_5:41 p.m._

She sighed tiredly. She was supposed to be there at 3 but instead got a little lost.

Okay maybe too lost...

But that doesn't matter; it's better late than never right?

She groaned.

* * *

The way to Yongen-Jaya was, well, cramped. Akira never expected the train to be full in just a minute. It was a complete opposite of when she was living in the suburbs. She had to give up her seat to an elderly woman since all the seats were occupied.

" **Yongen-Jaya. This is Yongen-Jaya.** "

The train's door opened and people rushed out of the train. Akira got inside the rushing people and was inevitably pushed outside through the door.

Taking a few trips here and there, she finally arrived at Yongen-Jaya. Albeit the sun was setting, she felt proud of going all her way here without guidance.

She decided to visit Sakura-san's house first, thinking he might be there considering the time. Her brows curled into uneasiness and she decided she was slightly lost. Turning around the area, she spotted an officer standing around the corner with a scowl planted on his face. Akira shifted uncomfortably, deciding to whether to ask him or not.

The officer noticed her uneasiness and his scowl lessened a bit. Taking a gulp and crossed her fingers, the curly haired girl went near the officer and decided to ask him about her guardian's house.

"...You see that apartment with the stairs over there? Take a right and to the furthest you'll see his house."

Akira thanked the officer. He grunted and tapped his cap.

Following his instructions, she took a right turn when she reached the apartment and saw a beat up house made of wood at the corner. Taking a close inspection of the name plate, she saw ' _Sakura_ ' engraved on the metal. She immediately concluded that this was his house. Though considering the sorry state his home, she felt sorry for the building and its treatment, but Akira had no right to complain since she was only freeloading and the man had agreed to take care of her.

She rang the doorbell a few times but no one came out to answer.

"Maybe he's out?" Akira murmured.

"Huh?" A man behind her let out a groan. Akira turned around and saw a delivery man scratching his neck. "Oh yeah, Sakura-san's usually at the cafe at this hour... Since his cafe is at the back alley, I should delivery the others first..." The delivery man mumbled between himself.

_"The back alley, huh?"_

Retracing her footsteps from before and going through a street she seen in the map from her GPS, Akira arrived at the entrance of a cafe.

It was... retro if Akira were to describe it, with an air of nostalgia and classic flowing with it. Leblanc hung on top of its flap with Curry and Coffee written above.

"Curry and ...coffee? Sounds good." She when she read the sign on top smiled.

She gently pushed the door and stepped inside. The soft tingling of the bells on top of the door announced her arrival. Akira was greeted with a homely scent of freshly brewed coffee and a slight tinged of spiciness mixed to it. She felt a bit hungry considering the hours she spent commuting and curry does sound like a good meal right now.

A middle aged man wearing an apron and pink shirt with slick black hair and a goatee sat on the chair near the counter while two middle aged couple chatted about a recent public transport malfunction being aired in the television hanging on top of the cafe.

"Let's see... vertical is... the name of a shellfish used for farming pearls..." The middle aged man mumbled as he was preoccupied answering a crossword from a magazine. He  
adjusted his glasses that slid from his nose bridge and continued minding his business, not noticing Akira's presence.

Akira shifted awkwardly, unsure what to do. Sojiro finally noticed the female standing near the entrance and studied her for a minute.

"Oh right," He placed his crossword on the counter and stood up. "They did say that was today."

"Well, we'll be going now." The elderly couple stood up. "The payment's on the table."

"Thanks for coming."

"The place is at the back alley so there's no worries of a car crashing in here." The elderly man laughed.

Sojiro raised his brow. "A what now?"

"There's been a string of those rampage incidents, you know. I just hope that none happen around here." The old man continued.

"It's none of my concern." Sojiro shrugged nonchalantly.

"Haha, we'll see you next time." The old couple bid a goodbye and headed out to the entrance.

Once the elderly couple went out, Sojiro groaned and scratch the back of his neck. "... Four hours just for a single cup of joe."

He turned to Akira. "So you're Akira?" In truth Sojiro had expected a boy to turn up, instead he got a girl who looked like she was decent enough with her long black curly hair tied into a low pony, large frame glasses decorating her face and proper school uniform worn. It was hard to believe she had a criminal record, then again crime has no form.

The girl bowed politely. "Please take care of me."

Well she's polite that's a start.

"Uh huh." Sojiro nodded. "I'm Sojiro Sakura. You'll be in my custody for over the year." He smirked as he introduced himself. He let out a weary sigh. "I was wondering what kind of unruly kid would show up, but you're the one, huh?"

Akira nodded, unsure what to say.

"Honestly." He ran his hand through his slick black hair. "I wasn't expecting a girl to show up, but that doesn't matter does it? Anyways have you been told? A customer of mine and your parents know each other and–"

"I've been told." Akira interrupted, voice tinged with disinterest.

"I see." Sojiro was surprised by her interruption.

_"Looks like this kid is more than it meets the eye. She's quite sassy despite her demure appearance."_ Sojiro frowned.

"Not that it matters, anyways – just follow me." He ushered the raven haired girl to follow.

He went to the back of the cafe, ushering the girl to follow him upstairs. The stairs were wooden and rickety as each step they made creaked. When they reached the top, Akira's brows formed a small knot as she saw the condition her new room was in. It was in disarray with dust floating and boxes scattered in a clutter of mess. Wait is that a plant? It looks pretty dead. She honestly didn't expect her new wrong to be so... dirty.

" _This_ is your room. I'll at least give you sheets for your bed." Sojiro broke the silence. He turned towards Akira.

Akira nodded, understanding everything he said.

"You look like you wanna say something."

"It's cluttered." She spoke straightforwardly. She gasped and clamped her mouth shut. "Sorry."

Sojiro sighed. He scratched the back of his neck and shrugged. "Well, it's up to you to clean up the rest."

"I'll be leaving after I lock up each day," He continued. "You'll be alone at night, but don't do anything stupid. I don't care if you're a girl, I'll throw you out if you cause any trouble."

"I'll be sure to behave." She replied.

"That's good," Sojiro crossed his arms. "Now then I got the gist of your situation."

Akira hummed. "I see so they told you already. I suppose it was necessary..."

Sojiro nodded, brushing his goatee with his fingers. "You protected some woman from a man forcing himself on her, he got injured, then sued you. Right?"

"That's right." Akira nodded. She stared at the ground, guilty of what she did. She didn't defend herself anymore; no one would listen to her anyways.

Sojiro let out a sigh. As much as he wanted to lecture the girl harshly, he felt a pang of remorse for the girl. Probably because he had a weakness for women, another thing is that she was about the same age as Futaba. He wondered if the raven haired girl could be friends with her... No it would be too soon, but he did hope.

"That's what you get for sticking your nose in a matter between two adults." Akira flinched, eyes still cast down.

Sojiro continued albeit less harsh. "You did injure him, yeah?"

Akira nodded.

"...And now that you have a criminal record, you were expelled from your high school. The court ordered you to transfer and move out here, which your parents also approve."

Akira clenched her fist, nails digging to her palm, making red half moons on their wake.

Sojiro smirked. "In other words, they got rid of you for being a reckless punk."

She soften her clenching fist and sighed. "I know. It was stupid of me."

Sojiro shrugged, mouth forming a thin line. "It's best you not talk about anything unnecessary. I am running a restaurant business, you know. Behave yourself for a year. Nothing happens, your probation will be lifted."

"Probation?" Akira asked.

"Really now... It's the word that applies to you." Sojiro said. "Your sentence last until next spring, right? That's why you're gonna be here for the coming year."

"Cause any problems and you'll be sent straight into juvie," Sojiro continued. "So _please_ behave yourself. I don't want any police barging in my cafe."

"I be in my best behavior, don't worry." Akira promised.

"Uh huh. Anyways, we'll be going to Shujin tomorrow."

"Shujin... My new school right?" Akira replied.

"Yeah. We'll introduce ourselves properly to the staff there. There's rarely a place that'll accept someone like you, you know." He sighed. "What a waste of my Sunday."

Sojiro turned around and glanced at the box behind him. "Your luggage' arrived earlier; I left them over there."

He left the girl behind, arm on his waist. Once he was gone, Akira let out a weary moan. She was tired from commuting all day, now she'll tire herself even more from cleaning? As much as she wanted to lay down on the bed and sleep, she didn't want to sleep in a dusty room.

" _I'll be living here for a year. I'd better clean it up."_ She thought.

She decided to check her luggage first, opening to see if all her belongings were inside. All her daily necessities, clothes and items were in place, so she decided to change into casual wear. Removing her school uniform and changing into a white V-neck, a black button up and denim shorts. She started cleaning up her new room. Using a duster she found, she started dusting her room, opening her window to let dust fly out. Next she mopped her floor, scraping any dirt and residue aside and making it squeaky clean to her liking. She decided to store her belongings in one of the shelves near the entrance, carrying the heavy box and pushing it in place so that it wouldn't be on the way. Lastly, she focused on arranging her bed, straighten any creases that formed on her new bed sheet.

She yawned and realized that she consumed a lot of time cleaning.

She heard footsteps creaking from the stairs revealing Sojiro with a surprised but bemused expression. "What the heck? I heard you making all sorts of noise up here but I didn't think you were cleaning." He mumbled. He inspected the room from top to bottom, nodding to himself contently. "Actually, the place doesn't look too bad. Though it's only natural for a girl to keep her room tidy."

_"Oh if he only knew how untidy I am... I can't even manage my hair straight."_ Akira forced a smiled.

"Why don't you go to bed for tonight? You don't have anything better to be doing, right? I'm going to close shop and get out here myself. "Sojiro said."I won't be the one looking after you if you get sick from staying up too late, you got that?"

Akira nodded without saying anything and Sojiro went on his way.

" _Starting today, this is my room."_ A wave of melancholy washed over Akira, but she quickly pushed it away. _"I have to remain positive. One year isn't that long. I guess…"_

She decided to hit the hay and rest her tired body, changing to her sleepwear and removing the tie from her hair, letting lose her unruly, curly hair. Climbing unto her new bed and lifting the sheets on her body, she found it hard to sleep despite her previous drowsiness. She twisted and turn her body, mind overthinking the previous events that led to her being here.

The scene played with the drunken man falling on his own and growling to Akira.

" _Damn brat. I'll sue!"_

Next was Akira being dragged off by the police.

Her heart mellowed, thinking what could have happened if she had let them be and listened to her parent's warning. She could still be her hometown with her friends and her family. Her life would be quiet and peaceful. She would finish high school and study college in her hometown. Everyone would treat her kindly.

So was everything she did worth it?

"I…" She uttered.

She was unsure if she regretted it or not.

She closed her eyes, trying to remember every detail of what happened during that night.

* * *

[ **Kino: Akira-chan~! You in tomorrow? We're gonna go karaoke with some guys. It'll be fun~!** ]

Her phone beeped. She took her phone from her pants and smiled. She was doing an errand that day and was hurrying home because it was late.

[ **Akira** : **Sorry Kino, my parents won't let me. I'll make it up to you soon.** ]

Kino replied immediately.

[ **Kino: Aw, no fair. :/ You always back out. You're no fun! No. Funnnnn.** ]

[ **Akira: I'll make it up to you, I promise!** ]

[ **Kino: 'Kaaaay. You hafta buy me 3 crepes though. :P** ]

[ **Akira: What? Ugh, fine.** ]

[ **Kino: Aw yeah.** ]

She slipped it again inside her pocket and fastened her pace. Her parents would get even angrier if she arrived late, not that she is already late, but they would get furious if she took her time. She sighed.

"Just get in the car!" She heard a male voice scream.

"Stop it!" A woman's voice wailed this time.

" _What's happening?"_ Akira frowned.

As she continued walking, she saw a man and a woman in the distance. The man was forcing her himself on her.

"How dare you cross me!"

"Stop it! Let me go!"

She ran closer, her heart palpitating from nervousness. A voice inside her screamed stop but her body continued to disobey.

"No…!"

"Don't give me that shit…"

"Ow! P-Please, stop…!"

She froze, unable to think what to do. Her hands sweated and trembled furiously, her feet felt like it could fall any minute. She tried to calm herself, thinking rationally on what to do. Voices of her parents' stern voice echoed inside her mind like church bells, shaking the interior of her head in sharp rings – telling her to move away and do nothing.

Nothing good will happen if you involve yourself into mindless things.

" _What are you doing? You can't let this man do whatever he wants, can you?"_ Her head suddenly throbbed. She moaned, clenching her head as it pulsed grievously. _"Follow your heart. You can't ignore this…"_

" _I have to save her."_ She gritted her teeth, her headache fading immediately.

She rushed to the man, yelling ' _Stop!'_ as loud as she can. It caught both the attention of the man and the crying woman.

"…What do you want? This isn't a damn show, kid. Get outta my face!" He spat venom to Akira and continued forcing the woman.

She held her ground, feigning courage. Despite her confidence wavering, she still had an option. "I-I'll call the cops!"

"Heh, call them if you want! The police are _my_ bitches. They're not gonna take you seriously." All the remaining confidence she had fell down the drain. She was only a high schooler, what else she can do? Tears burned at the side of her eyes, threatening to fall any moment.

"Please… Help!" The woman cried.

Police sirens wailed from the distance, surprising Akira and the man.

"Someone called the cops, huh?" He glared at Akira. The man turned to the woman, clearly more furious than before. "See? This is all because you're so damn slow! Get in the car!" He grabbed the woman on the arm and tried to drag her inside the car.

* * *

The memory left a bitter taste in Akira's mouth. She didn't know what happened to her and why she did such a reckless act. It was like some spirit of justice took over her body and controlled it. Despite recalling the actions that she did, she still wasn't sure if she did the right thing. A part of her said that it was right, but there was also a part that said it wasn't. Her mind conflicted into these thought until her phone rang and catching her attention. She grabbed it from her side and opened it. To her surprise, the creepy application she deleted earlier appeared again.

" _It's that weird app again… I thought I deleted it…"_ She swiped it down the trash, deleting it again.

Akira yawned, sleep finally cooed her. Her eyelids started to get heavy, having a hard time keeping them open. She let them be and embraced her drowsiness.

* * *

Soft singing followed by an accompaniment of a piano filled her ears. It was a beautiful melody but also mournful. She groaned her consciousness rising.

Her eyes darted open as she gasping quickly. Her eyes traveled stared at the ceiling, then around the room. She was confused to where she was. She inspected the room. Blue velvet colored the walls and its surroundings which fascinated the raven haired girl. A lone toilet stood across her bed which she found odd. She noticed prison bars locking her inside and she frowned – why was she in a prison? She lifted her body, figuring to inspecting the room more, but was surprised when she saw shackles binding her hands. She inspected the metallic cuffs on her hands. She tried to pry it off, forcing her hand to slip from the bindings but sadly it didn't work. She shifted to sit on the side the bed, trying to recall what happened and why was she here. Did she do something bad? No that can't be…

Soft tapping echoed outside her cell shifted her attention. A small boy (boi) dressed in blue prison guard outfit and black shorts just above his knee paired white knee socks and brown shoes appeared in front of her. He had a smirk on his face, a blue hat with letters spelling "X-M-R-N" covering his short white fly-away hair which ended on each side of his head and bangs slightly falling on the left side of his face where his black eye patch covered his left yellow eye. Another boy appeared, donning the same outfit as the boy to his side, but this time he different letters on his hat, spelling "O-Y-O-O" which covered his short wavy white hair and bangs falling on the black patch which covered his right yellow eye. The new boy had no expression on his face whatsoever.

Akira smiled, noting how adorable the two boys were with their prison guard costumes. She stood up –trying to get closer to the prison bars to ask them, but was halted when her leg felt heavy. She glanced behind her and saw a metal ball chained to her left leg. She frowned but never the less continued to approach the boys. They turned around, showing a man wearing a black suit sitting on a desk in the middle of the prison room. Akira gasped in shock when she studied his face. He looked creepy, with his unnaturally long nose, receding hairline, weird looking elfish ears and bulging eyes. He smirked and extended his long gloved fingers to Akira.

" _Trickster,_ Welcome to my Velvet Room."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wassup people! Originally posted this on Fanfiction.net but I decided to post it here aswell!
> 
> ANyWayS. As you can see I made Akira unsure of what she did. I altered her personality a bit and some people around her such as Sojiro because as stated in the game, he's nice to women, but that doesn't justify that he should treat her with care. He'll be a little strict but eventually warm down fast to Akira.
> 
> If you notice as well, I did alter the story and made it slightly different from the male Akira.
> 
> Don't worry, she'll have her time to shine, soon, but I gotta finish Persona 5 first, HAHAHA. I know the story, but I still want to play it and experience everything. (And romance some gurls. Looking at you Kawakami.)
> 
> I also did make Caroline and Justine males. I based it on Persona 3 Portable where Minako/Hamuko had a male attendant (though you can pick a female one too) assist her. So I decided to do it as well.
> 
> If you see any grammar mistakes, please let me know! Thank you :>
> 
>  


	2. Chapter 2

The calm composure that dwell in Akira disappeared and was replaced with uncertainty and distrust. After putting up the puzzles together, she had realized that this wasn't an act that she previously thought it was – it was real. The strange man staring intensely at her made her felt frightened and unsure and the guard outfits that she thought were costumes were actually legit. She firmly grasped the railings tightly studying the outside interior more. More jail rooms circled around the room and her heart sank further. The cuffs – The metal ball – her outfit – the guards – Everything struck into her head like lightning.

She was really thrown into jail.

But how?

"So you've come to, _Inmate._ " The boy on her right harshly spoke. His previous smirk drained and was replaced with an evident scowl.

"Please! I didn't do anything!" She rattled the bars, trying to convince them to let her go.

"Shut your yapping." The boy produced a steel baton with his hand and slammed it on bars, sparks producing from its impact. Akira yelped and backed away.

"Listen and be quiet or I'll do it again." He ordered. Akira nodded, fear still obvious in her eyes.

The boy on her left turned and spoke in a monotonous tone. "The you in reality is currently fast asleep. You are only experiencing this as a dream."

"Dream… What do you mean?" The girl asked, approaching the twins again.

"You're in the presence of our master. Stand up straight!" The meaner twin snapped, pointing towards their master and puffing out his chest.

"Master?" She glanced towards the man sitting at the desk in the middle of the room.

"Welcome. I am delighted to make your acquaintance." He smiled and greeted Akira. "This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter. It is a room that only those who are bound by a 'contract' may enter."

"C-contract?" Akira blurted out.

"Shut up and continue listening!" The twin on her right cut out.

The man sitting at the desk chuckled. "I am Igor, the master of this place. Remember it well." He paused and continued. "You may be wondering why you are here. I summoned you to speak of important matters. It involves your _life_ as well."

"Life?" Akira gasped, "No – No! Let me out!" She rattled the bars again, trying to break free even if it was lock tight.

"Stop rattling the cage, Inmate! Let our master finish his talking!" The twin with the fly-away hair banged her cage again with his baton filled with and electricity. Akira backed away as it polarized the railings with the baton's intimidating spark.

"Still, this is a surprise… The state of this room reflects the state of your own heart. To think a prison would appear as such." Igor said with his deep voice. "You truly are a 'prisoner' of fate."

Akira gripped her forearm tightly, gritting her teeth as she listened to Igor.

"In the near future, there is no mistake that ruin awaits you." Akira whipped her head and glanced to Igor, surprised on what he was saying.

"Ruin?" She approached the bars again, taking a little bit of courage with her. "What do you mean?"

"I speak of the end to everything. However, there is a means to oppose such fate. You must be 'rehabilitated'. Rehabilitated toward freedom… That is your only means to avoid ruin… " Igor explained. "Do you have the resolve to challenge the distortion of the world?"

Akira frowned, fear slowly subsiding but she didn't let her guard down. Igor talked about ruin, and rehabilitation being the only way to oppose her destiny of calamity. Freedom… by rehabilitation? She wondered what does Igor's rehabilitation will do to her and how it will make her avoid the ruin Igor mentioned. She nodded and said, "I'd rather avoid ruin."

"Allow me to observe the path of you rehabilitation." Igor nodded.

The twins moved to face Akira, arms on their back, back straighten and chest puffed out.

"Ah, pardon me for not introducing the others. To your right is Percy; to your left, Henry. They serve as wardens here." Igor introduced the twins to Akira.

Percy smirked and Henry remained still and unemotional.

Percy scoffed, "Hmph, try and struggle as hard as you like."

Henry followed with his cold tune. "The duty of wardens is to protect inmates. We are also your collaborators… That is, if you remain obedient."

"I shall explain the roles of these two at another occasion." Igor said. The twins turned away, back facing Akira. "Now then, it seems the night is waning… It is almost time."

"W-wait, I still have questions!" Akira yelped.

Igor chuckled, his fingers tapping rhythmic on his desk. "Take your time to slowly come to understand this place. We will surely meet again, eventually…"

An alarm rang, surprising Akira. She let go of the railings and glanced around the area, trying to find the location of alarm.

"Times up!" Percy announced, "Now hurry up and go back to sleep." He ordered.

"Wait! I need to ask something!" She rushed to the bars and begged to extend the time. She still had questions left unanswered, but no one noticed her. Her vision slowly turned black, Igor's smirking face embedded in her mind and the soft sound of the Velvet Room faded from her ears.

* * *

During the drive to her new school – which was located in Aoyama District, Akira couldn't help but wander more about the strange dream she encountered.

Ruin…

Rehabilitation…

It sounded so cryptic to her and so bizarre. What was that long nosed man talking about? It didn't make any sense. The room, the twins, the eerie man – everything was surreal.

Strangely though, the dream felt so real, like she was really in there in person.

Her thoughts were disrupted were disrupted when Sojiro announced that they arrived to school.

She inspected the school. She didn't expect it to look so… dreary, then again she did have a criminal record so the chances of a prestigious school accepting her is minimal to none.

"This is your school. Do me a favor and behave yourself alright?" Sojiro stopped and turned to the raven haired girl and warned her. "Don't get me wrong – I don't care what happens to you. Just don't cause me any trouble."

Akira nodded and they proceeded inside the school

* * *

Kawakami couldn't believe her luck. The new transfer student – the one with the criminal record, got transferred _in_ her class.

She sighed.

" _Just my luck."_ She thought.

With all the second year classes they had to pick, why was hers chosen? She wasn't even a grade A teacher like Mr. Ushimaru or Ms. Usami nor she was good like Ms. Chouno or Mr. Kamoshida, so why her? Oh yeah, her class was the only class available to take the transfer student. Still, the principal could have chosen a stricter teacher to deal with her rather than Kawakami, who probably couldn't supervise – let alone help Akira when she gets in trouble. With the debt pilling up from her doorstep from Takase's guardians, dealing with the new transfer student would just wear more her energy off.

" _Thank goodness I found a job… despite being distasteful…"_ She sighed.

Kawakami shuddered at her occupation, but she had no choice anyways. She needed a lot of money fast and this 'services' does pay a lot, despite wearing a shameful outfit. It was her fault after all – paying Takase's guardians is the only way they'd forgive her.

"Sighing a lot would make more wrinkles appear, Ms. Kawakami." Kawakami glanced up and saw Kamoshida with his usual carefree smile.

Kawakami let out a groan, "I can't believe they pushed someone with a record on me. A male teacher would be better suited for this…"

"Why in the world was someone like that admitted here?" Kamoshida shook his head and placed his hands on his hips.

"Who knows? It was the principal's decision." Kawakami shrugged, "I was told it was for the school's reputation."

"I would have thought _my_ volleyball team has contributed more than enough to cover that." Kamoshida said.

"That's certainly true." Kawakami nodded.

"Be careful okay? Then again, if anything were to happen, I'd kick out a student like that right away."

"I keep on wishing that he'd just end up not coming to school." The female teacher sighed. "Still, that isn't something I should be saying as a teacher…"

"Well, I should be returning to practice."

"Oh, right. The tournament's coming up, isn't it?"

"Hehe, having such high expectations placed on you by others is quite a problem itself." Kamoshida let out a grin. "We'll have to work hard to make up for the track team too."

"Yes… that's true."

Kamoshida left to the gym, leaving the stressed out teacher to mend for herself. She sighed deeply again, thoughts wandering towards the new transfer student. Thinking more about the student, Kawakami noted her plain looks. In truth, the teacher expected Akira to be… more bold; with bleached hair, colored nails, improper uniform and heavy make-up – instead she was the exact opposite, which surprised Kawakami. But looks can be deceiving and she didn't want to jump into conclusions.

"Why'd have to be my class…?"

* * *

Akira could feel the tension build up inside the car. The recent clear road was bombarded with beeping buses and cars, all stuck in a heavy mess with Sojiro and Akira in the middle. Akira glanced to her guardian and remained quiet. Sojiro was irritated, spewing low curses and 'tsks' under his breath as he maneuvered the car in heavy traffic.

"You're taking the train starting tomorrow." He said.

Akira nodded, pushing her black frames back in place.

Silence filled the air and Sojiro felt awkward.

"…So how was it? The school, I mean. Think you can manage?" He broke the silenced and attempted a conversation.

"It'll be tough, but I can manage." The raven haired girl replied.

"Don't come crying home saying someone push you, alright?" Sojiro laughed.

"Still, you were expelled once already. To think you'd re-enroll at a different one. It's not like anyone will be sympathetic with you." He continued, "…If that's what it was like at school, people might say stuff about me in the future too…"

He breathed out and shook his head. "What a troublesome kid I've taken in…"

"So why did you take me in?" Akira asked.

"I was asked to do it, and I just… happened to agree to it." Sojiro frowned. "I've already been paid for it too, after all."

"You're probably just sympathetic with me, aren't you?" Akira smirked. "I mean, if I was in your situation, I wouldn't let a kid with a criminal record stay under my roof. Since I _am_ running a restaurant business, I wouldn't want people making rumors about me that could sabotage my business."

"Look kid, your parent's friend just happened to force me into cooping you up. I'm not sympathetic with you or anything. So don't think of funny ideas."

"Uh huh." Akira's smirked widened as she watched Sojiro's frown grow larger. "If you keep frowning, you'd age quickly." She grinned.

"Shut up."

" _ **Again, a subway has derailed at Shibuya Station, greatly affecting the timetable all across the–"**_ The radio buzzed.

"…Another accident?" Sojiro said. "So that's why it's so crowded. There's been a lot of those lately."

"Tokyo's scary." Akira mumbled.

* * *

"Have you seen the news?" The boy spoke through his phone, eyeing his surrounding for any eavesdroppers.

" _Yes, I have. Well done for executing the plan, you have proven yourself worthy."_ A man's voice replied through the phone.

"I've proven myself to you years ago, you still doubt me now?"

" _Hmph. Lay low and wait for my next mission. Don't disappoint me."_ The line ended with a beep.

"Tch." The brunette said, looking at his phone in anger.

He heard soft tapping and the boy glanced up to see a beautiful woman with long silver hair and piercing red eyes descending down the marbled stairs. The boy forced his anger away and masked a smile to greet the woman.

"Did you ask for me Niijima-san? Is it a case?" The boy said.

"Not quite, Akechi-kun. I want your opinion on something." Sae continued walking down, passing the brunette.

"Sure. Your judgement is quite often correct, though." Akechi gleamed as he followed Niijima down the stairs. "Can we discuss this over sushi, perhaps? You are making a student work late, after all."

"Conveyor belt only."*

Akechi whined.

* * *

Akira stepped inside the café, her body tired from traveling from Tokyo's traffic. It took them 3 hours to reach home because of an unexpected road closing and changing of routes due to the railroad incident. She stretched her body and took a seat at the chair near the counter. The café's bell rang and Sojiro entered with a weary sigh.

"Damn, to think there'd be that much traffic… What a waste of time." Sojiro cracked his neck and massaged his sore shoulder. "I wasn't able to open the café today…"

"Sorry for bothering yourself with me." Akira bowed.

Sojiro shrugged. "Well, whatever. It's done anyways. Just head upstairs. There's something I need to give you."

Akira nodded and proceeded to head to the attic. Arriving at the attic, Sojiro opened his phone and read the latest headline on the news.

"Talk about a gruesome accident… Eighty people were involved." He said.

"The railroad incident?" Akira asked, brows formed a worried look.

"Yeah, apparently the train conductor was said to have a mental breakdown of sorts. Not that it matters anyway. Now." Sojiro reached in his pocket and pulled out a small notebook which took Akira's interest. "It's a diary. Make sure to write in it."

Akira nodded, catching the notebook which Sojiro threw.

"You may be under probation, but there's no special limitations on what you do in particular – besides following the law, that is." Sojiro crossed his arms. "However, I'm obligated to report on you, which is why I'm having you record your daily activities."

Sojiro's phone suddenly rang and he turned around to answer it.

"Hey, what's up? – "

While Sojiro was talking to the phone, Akira inspected the small notebook he gave to her. It was nothing special, the cover was pure black and the pages were blank. Come to think of it, it's been a long time since she kept a diary. Her last diary was probably in grade school, though the memory is foggy. Guess she'll have to make it a habit of writing on it.

Sojiro finished his phone call and place his phone in his pocket. He turned back to Akira and said, "Well, I'm off. I'll lock the place up, so you do whatever you want for the rest of the night – oh but don't mess up my store. If something goes missing, I'll hand you right over to the cops."

"I won't touch anything." The raven haired girl assured.

"You got school tomorrow… You better head off to bed, alright?" Sojiro bid farewell and left Akira in her room.

" _I should probably write something."_ She thought as she lifted up the black notebook.

Rummaging in her school bag for a pen and settling down on the dusty couch, she wrote whatever happened that day and her inner thoughts. Finishing her last sentence, she placed the diary inside her bag and decided to change her clothes to sleep wear, but before she could do that, she heard a loud ring from downstairs. Descending down stairs, she inspected the café to find the source of the ringing until she found a vintage yellow telephone on the counter near the entrance of the café. She approached the phone and answered.

"Hello?" Akira spoke.

" _Yo, it's me."_

"Is this a prank call?"

" _Come on, now… You forgot my voice already? It's Sakura."_

"Oh, sorry. Why're you calling though?"

" _Uhhh… I close up shop, but I forgot to flip the sign to CLOSED. It's too much of a hassle for me to go back, so you flip the sign for me."_

"Mhm, okay, got it." She nodded.

" _Well, I'm sure no one's gonna come, even if it says OPEN. Thank goodness I was able to reach you. I tried calling your phone, but I couldn't reach you. You lost it or something?"_

Thinking back, she forgot to charge her phone that day so she decided to leave without it. She took a mental note to charge it when she goes back upstairs.

"I forgot to charge it, sorry. I'll be sure to charge it this time."

" _Yeah, be sure to do that. Anyway, I'm glad you answered the phone over in the shop. OK then, I'm leaving you in charge of the door sign."_ The telephone shuts and the line beeps.

She placed the handle back to the telephone and proceeded to the door of the café. Going outside, she flipped the sign to CLOSED like she was told to and went instead. When she reached the attic, she rummaged her belongings to find her charger and searched for an outlet to plug it in. Finally finding an outlet which was conveniently placed near her bed, she charged her phone and she decided to change her uniform to sleepwear. She went downstairs to wash her face and brushed her teeth in the restroom and changed to her comfy sleeping attire. Going back upstairs, she opened her phone to look at the recent events and messages.

The phone beeped, showing her news about the railroad incident. She worried about tomorrow's timetable and how it'll affect her commuting. Sighing inside, she hoped it wouldn't delay her train too long.

Fiddling through her phone, she spotted a particular app that she thought she had deleted yesterday. The eerie application with an eye as a logo appeared again in her phone.

" _Didn't I erase this? Why is it here again? This is really getting creepy."_ She thought.

She dragged the app to the trashcan again and rebooted her phone in case it would appear again.

" _It's probably a virus. I should take it to someone who can erase it for me…"_

Feeling her eyelids getting heavy, she decided to forget all of this and slept.

* * *

"…Curry for breakfast?" Akira asked, staring at the curry which sat on the counter.

"Got a problem with that?" Sojiro grumbled, hands placed on his hips.

Normally, breakfast in Akira's home used to be eggs, rice, some natto beans and the usual, so she found it odd to have curry in breakfast – not that she didn't mind though. Nevertheless, she sat down without objections and took the spoon to take a bite out of the curry.

Placing the food inside her mouth, she was greeted with arrangements of flavors and spices she normally didn't taste in normal curry. It was delicious; unlike any curry she had tasted and found herself wanting more, taking uncontrollably big bites until she choked.

"Woah, slow down." Sojiro's eyes widened and handed the choking girl a glass of water. She took it gratefully and gulped it down to the last drop.

She slowly finished her curry this time, afraid to choke again. She thanked Sojiro for the meal bid farewell, but before she could leave the café Sojiro asked her to flip the sign outside to OPEN, which she obediently did.

Akira took the back part of the alley to the train station as per the advice of a nice elderly man. She hurried to make her way, afraid she might get late for her train. She ran down to the train station, hearing the intercom announcing the train's departure, she rushed to the train, beating the door and squished herself inside the cramped cart. She found herself unable to breathe properly because of the crowd, but the raven haired girl couldn't do anything so she tried to shrug it off.

When the train finally arrived at Shibuya, Akira gasped for air. The train was so packed and it was a miracle she's still alive. Relieved with the fresh air which was bestowed to her, she took a minute to calm herself. When she was okay, she searched for her next destination which is to take the Ginza Line.

Ascending upstairs, Akira was overwhelmed with the situation. She didn't know where the Ginza Line was. She checked every sign inside the station and nothing mentioned about Ginza Line. The place was foreign to her and everyone was in a hurry. Crowds of people passed by her and she found herself stranded. Frustrated, she decided to ask an attendant for directions.

The attendant was nice to show her the way, giving her directions to this and that. She thanked him graciously and headed to Ginza Line.

* * *

The bell rang inside the café and a customer stepped inside.

"Welcome." Sojiro said as he turned on the television.

The customer sat at one of the chairs near the counter and chatted with Sojiro. News suddenly headlined and the customer groaned.

"Oh man… Did it say it was going to rain today?" The customer asked.

"Huh? It's raining outside?" Sojiro said confusingly, checking the windows to see any downpour.

"It just started all of a sudden... This is why I hate the early spring." The customer frowned.

Placing is fingers on his chin, Sojiro mumbled, "That reminds me... Did she take an umbrella...?"

"Hm? Who are you talking about?"

"Don't mind me." Sojiro turned back to the customer. "So what'll it be?"

"One house blend, please." The customer requested, staring back at the TV screen which featured about the subway accident. He turned to Sojiro and said, "There's been a lot of nasty accidents lately. You know, I mean the subway accidents that the news is talking about – my coworker got caught up in it and is now in the hospital now... But that aside, it's kinda creepy. The people who caused these accidents supposedly went crazy all of a sudden. I heard that some of them suffered a nervous breakdown during interrogation."

Sojiro grunted and served the customer his coffee.

* * *

Checking if she was still alive, Akira took a full whip of fresh air. She coughed and wheezed, but thankful she survived the train. She checked the time and saw she wasted a lot of time. She cursed inside for being a country bumpkin Sojiro teased her about earlier.

The raven haired girl rushed out of the station at full speed, but to her surprise it was raining out. Fumbling about not bringing an umbrella, she took temporary shelter at one of the boutiques and waited for the rain to settle down. She opened her phone to check if her school was near but when she opened her GPS, the application with the eye appeared again. Akira sighed and adjusted her frames. The virus was getting really annoying and she promised herself to get it to someone who can erase the virus for her as soon as possible.

A student in a hoodie catches her eyes and she watched as the student settled near her and pulled down the hood, revealing puffy light blonde hair tied in twin tails and a pretty face. Akira couldn't help but stare agape at the female student beside her. She noted the girl to be a hafu*, but she despite that she had an attractive face and a body that could probably mean she worked as a model. Akira felt a little envious but at the same time admiring at her.

The girl noticed Akira's gaze and she smiled at the raven hair. Feeling a little self-conscious, Akira smiled back but the blonde girl already diverted her attention and Akira felt embarrassed.

She stared in front, trying to block away the failure she did earlier and tried to think about other things instead. A silver car parked right in front of them which surprised Akira. The window slid down, revealing a man (with a weird chin) wearing a tracksuit.

"Good morning. You want me to give you a ride to school? You're gonna be late." The man offered.

Akira suddenly felt high alert. Something about this man gives her a stranger danger vibe, plus she didn't even know the man.

Akira was about to say no when the blonde girl spoke.

"Um, sure. Thank you."

Akira stared dumfounded, but thankful inside that she didn't answer. She watched the blonde student open the car door and went inside.

"Do you need a lift too?" The man looked at Akira and asked her.

Unable to process properly, she smiled awkwardly and waved her hand, declining the man's offer to give her a ride.

"You sure?" The man said.

Akira nodded, smile still evident but still awkward.

"Alright then."

The man rolled the window up, but before he could fully close it Akira caught a glimpse of the girl with a sad expression on her face before it the window fully closed.

Akira's face twisted into suspicion, but decided to throw the thought aside. It wasn't her problem anyway.

A male student with blonde hair ran in front of Akira and stopped.

"Damnit, screw that pervy teacher." He cursed.

"…Pervy teacher?" Akira repeated.

The application in Akira's phone recorded what she said and analyzed 'Pervy teacher'.

The blonde male student turned around and glared at Akira. He wasn't a hafu like the other girl, rather he looked like a delinquent with is yellow t-shirt, rolled up pants and thuggish stance. Everything screamed 'do not associate' around him, which Akira would gladly want to follow except he already approached her and was ready to beat her up.

Just when she promised herself not to involve herself with bad people…

"What do you want?" The vulgar boy spoke threateningly. "You plannin' on rattin' me out to Kamoshida?"

She scrunched her eyebrows… The who now?

"Kamoshida? I'm sorry who?"

The glare disappeared and a confused expression was replaced. "Huh? In that car just now. It was Kamoshida."

"I-I see…" She said, remembering the teacher's face.

"He does whatever the hell he wants. Who does he think he is – the king of the castle? Don't you agree?" The vulgar boy grumbled, placing his hands in his pocket and glared at the side.

"King of a castle? Sorry I don't follow."

"No, I mean…" The vulgar boy stood quiet and crossed his arms. "…Wait, you don't know Kamoshida? Are you for real? You're from Shujin, right?"

"Yeah. You go to Shujin too?" Akira asked.

"What…? No other high school's got a uniform like this." The boy pointed at his uniform. He noticed the 2 on the patch on Akira's blazer. "A second-year, huh… We're the same grade then – never seen you before though…"

The vulgar boy realized something. "Oh, you're a transfer student?"

The raven haired girl nodded.

"No wonder you don't know him." He shrugged. "This rain ain't too bad. We better hurry or we'll be late." The boy ushered Akira to follow him.

Suddenly a strange aura struck both of them, making both the teens' head nauseous. The vulgar boy cried on in pain and held his head with his hands. Akira also held her temples, feeling light-headed for some reason.

"Ugggh, my head hurts…" The vulgar boy groaned. "Damnit… I wanna go home…" He continued walking, slightly swaying due to the light headedness.

Akira was reluctant to follow the vulgar boy, but decided to go against her morale and trail behind him. She didn't want to associate herself with him but she did need to go to school.

* * *

"Ugh." The drug was having an affect with her. It made her light headed and groggy. She felt her eyes becoming blurry, her body being numb and her ears rang loud, blocking the sound outside.

"G't a h'ld 'f y'rs'lf." A voice plead. She couldn't hear much because of the ringing of her ears.

Her shoulders were suddenly shook, Akira turned to face a figure of woman with silver hair trying to coo her to stay awake.

"Th' drug is tak'ng an effect." The ringing of her ears slowly went down and she could feel some parts of her body now.

Akira placed her head on her palms and gently shook her head, attempting to regain consciousness over her body. It was slowly going away, but she still felt light headed.

She glanced up and saw the woman still in front of her, the woman's hands gently gripped Akira's shoulder, trying to support her from falling.

"Are you alright?" The silver haired lady asked worriedly.

Akira nodded and tried to sit properly on her seat. She cracked her fingers, stretching them to free it from strain and continued the interrogation. The woman left Akira's side and sat in front of her and placed her hands on table.

The woman crossed her legs and interrogated Akira. "...There was a terrible subway accident that day. You remember, don't you?"

Akira kept quiet, resting her head using her hand on the table.

"I assume you knew of the uproar that the public calls 'psychotic breakdown incidents'." The woman continued.

Akira kept her mouth shut and finally spoke. "I might."

The woman frowned. "You say that like it's none of your business." She pressed forward, inclining her body to intimidate Akira. "It was wall over the news, and one of the victims included a teacher at your high school. I've no doubt you heard about it."

No response came from Akira.

"On that day... were you still an 'ordinary' student?"

"What do you mean?" The raven haired girl feign innocently.

"...Let me change the question." The woman crossed her arms and leaned back on her chair. "You transferred to Shujin Academy, correct?"

"…Yes."

"An ordinary prep school that could be found in any city – that's what it should have been." The woman's eyes grew sharper. "What happened around that time? Tell me everything– truthfully."

* * *

The raven haired girl which hair was tied on a low ponytail followed the boy faithfully. She traversed every nook and cranny that the vulgar boy spoke to as a shortcut. Unbeknownst to Akira, the weird application transported her into another place similar to the real world yet different as well.

Following the boy in a small alleyway, her shoes stepped in a puddle which splashed strangely. She looked behind her to inspect anything that was weird but there was nothing.

The application flashed, giving out a message saying 'Reached Destination' and closed on its own.

The vulgar boy gasped, making Akira ran up to him. When she caught up, her eyes widened at the sight in front of her. A tall castle marveled in front of them, glistening purple-pinkish because of the sky's color.

Wasn't there a school here?

"We didn't go the wrong way though…?" The vulgar boy mumbled, glancing back at the alleyway they came from. "Yeah this should be right."

"What's going on here?" The vulgar boy continued, he glanced back at Akira. "Come on, let's go ask."

Akira nodded and the two teenagers proceeded inside the castle.

* * *

The inside was even more extravagant than the exterior. Chandeliers glistened on the ceiling; red carpets decorated the floor; a grand staircase hid marvelously behind the high columns. It was like a real castle like those in Europe Akira once saw on the internet.

"That's weird… where's the school?" The boy asked confusingly.

"Is this our school?" Akira brows' furrowed.

"It should be. It said Shujin on the gate…" He trailed off. "What's going on?"

The boy swiftly reached his phone and opened it. "Out of service? Where'd we end up…? The sign was for the school, right?"

"I think so?" The raven haired girl scratched her hand in confusion.

"Right!? You saw it too!" The boy stomped his feet.

A thump caught Akira's attention and the vulgar boy turned around to see it. A weird person in a knight costumer equipped with a sword and shield stepped in front of them.

"Geez! You freaked me out." The vulgar boy said. "Who're you? You a student?"

The boy approached the knight, trying to pry more information.

"Man, your costume is impressive… Is that armor real?"

The knight remained stoic and unresponsive.

An unpleasant feeling clouded Akira, urging her to be wary of the knight in front of her.

"I don't we should stay here." Akira uttered.

But the boy didn't listened and continued asking the knight.

"C'mon, don't just stand there. Say somethin'." The vulgar boy asked, annoyance filled his voice and he crossed his arms, patience wavering.

Another knight approached, shocking both the boy and Akira. The rude boy staggered back, unsure whenever if this was a prank or not.

"…H-hey, what's goin' on?" The rude boy stuttered.

"I think we need to go." Akira whispered, gripping the boy's shirt and ushering him to go

The knight's surrounded the teens and the rude boy began to panic. "W-wait, calm down! T-time out man!"

"Let's go!" The girl hissed, trying to make sense to the boy with her.

"Yeah, we gotta run!" The boy nodded and ran. Akira trailed behind him

But before they could reach the entrance, more guards appeared and blocked their way.

"Ugh, what's with these guys!?" The boy groaned.

A knight behind the boy bashed him with its shield, making the vulgar boy topple down on his knees and gasp in pain.

"Oww... Y-you're gonna break my bones, dammit!" He wheezed. "The hell you think you are – Aagh!" The boy held his back in pain.

Akira hurried to the boy and knelt beside him to assist him.

"Get a hold of yourself!" She said, but the boy blacked out and Akira silently cursed. She tried supporting him, intertwining his arm on her shoulder.

She glanced around, trying to find a space where she could escape, but the soldiers closed in on them and locked any possible way to escape.

A blunt object hit her on her back and she gasped in pain. She dropped on her knees, feeling her vision fade into black.

"Dammit." She cursed.

"Take them away!" A guard's voice echoed in her head as she passed out.

* * *

"…Hey." A familiar voice rang in her ears

"Hey! Wake up!"

Akira slowly opened her eyes. She groaned, holding her head tenderly. It felt like it was bursting open, and it hurt badly. Very vision cleared and the boy from earlier came into her sights. He was kneeling besides her with a worried expression on his face. She jolted quickly from the place where she rested and inspected the room they were in.

"You alright?" The boy asked.

"W-where are we?" Akira spoked.

"Looks like we're in some sorta cell." The vulgar boy glanced around the room and frowned. "Looks like this ain't no dream…"

"Ugh, What's goin' on!?" The boy stomped his feet on the ground in frustration. He ran towards the cell door and banged it with his fists. "Hey, let us outta here! I know there's someone out there!"

"Calm down." Akira sighed.

"Dammit! This is some kinda prank? Is this a TV set? Where the hell are we!?" He went back to Akira and ranted.

"We'll figure this out eventually…" Akira assured.

Suddenly a gruesome scream rattled the room. The source of the voice was far, but it sent shivers down to the teenagers.

They froze in place, unable to speak.

"Th-The hell was that just now…?" The vulgar boy broke the silence. He ran to the cell door and tried to peek from outside. Akira followed him, her previous calm exposure erased.

The grueling screams continued, making both the teenagers frightened. Akira could feel her heart accelerate and her palms sweaty.

The vulgar boy shook his head. "Whoa… Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa…" He looked at the girl beside him who was clutching the bars tightly. "– You're shittin' me, right…?"

"I-I don't know!" Akira voice broke. She was getting nervous.

"This is real bad...!" The boy distressed. He looked around the room to find any escape routes. "Isn't there some way out of here!? C'mon, we gotta do something! – Let's check around the cell!"

They investigated the room, checking the bed and walls to see if there was anything they could use. Akira shivered when she saw the chains strapped on the walls. She wasn't sure if it was rusted by air or… She didn't want to think more about it. They checked all the possible places but it was no avail.

Footsteps thumped on the ground and they saw two knights from earlier approach their cell.

"Be glad that your punishment has been decided upon." One of the knights said "Your charge is 'Unlawful entry.' –Thus, you will be sentenced to death."

"Say what!?" The boy croaked.

Akira couldn't believe what the knight had said. It's gotta be prank right?

"No one's allowed to do as they please in my castle." Another voice spoke. The guards moved away, giving place to a man who was wearing a crown and a red cape with hearts imprinted on it. Akira noted that he looked vaguely familiar with his hair and his weird chin.

"Huh? Wait... Is that you, Kamoshida?" The boy jolted back to the door, gripping the bars tightly, mouth agape from shock.

"Kamoshida?" Akira repeated, eyes widening. That was Kamoshida? He looked so different and… weird.

"I thought it was some petty thief, but to think it'd be you, Sakamoto…" Kamoshida sneered. "Are you trying to disobey me again? It looks like you haven't learned anything at all, huh?"

"It seems that you've brought a friend, huh? And a girl in fact… You really can't do anything on your own." Kamoshida glanced at Akira and smirked.

"Dammit!" The boy gritted his teeth.

"Can't believe you found yourself a girl, Sakamoto. Too bad it won't last."Kamoshida approached Akira. She froze, unable to move her legs despite her mind telling it to. "Aren't you a pretty little thing? Despite your unruly hair, you have a cute face. If you submit to me… I might give you a lighter sentence."

"This has nothing to do with her, asshole!" Sakamoto yelled to Kamoshida.

Kamoshida turned to Sakamoto in anger, "Is that how you speak to a king? It seems you don't understand the position you're in at all. Not only did you sneak into my castle, but you also committed the crime of insulting me– the king."

Kamoshida smirked. "The punishment for that– is death."

Kamoshida flailed his arm, ordering his guards to carry out the order. "It's time for an execution! Take him out!"

"S-stop it…!" Sakamoto said weakly.

The guards opened the cell door using their keys. Once they opened the door, the guards separated Sakamoto and Akira and cornered the vulgar boy to the wall.

"…Goddammit…!" Sakamoto cursed. Adrenaline flooded inside him and the vulgar boy rushed in to slam himself to the guard, knocking the knight on his back. "I ain't down for this shit! C'mon we're outta here!" He made eye contact to the scared girl and she quickly nodded.

Before they could rush out of the cell, a guard punched Sakamoto on the stomach, flinging him to the wall as he gasped in pain.

"Sakamoto-san!" Akira yelled.

"Nggh… Owww…" Sakamoto kneeled, clutching his stomach which was in pain.

"Stop it!" Akira tried to pry the guard away but she couldn't make it move.

"Just go! Get outta here…! These guys are serious!" Sakamoto wheezed.

"Oh? Running away, are we? Leaving your boyfriend behind? How heartless."Kamoshida taunted.

She gritted her teeth, unable to think of what to do.

" _Think Akira, think! I thought you were good? C'mon!"_ Akira thought.

"I-I don't know her at all!" Sakamoto yelled. Akira looked at him, fear evident in her eyes. "C'mon! Hurry up and go!"

Akira couldn't move her feet. She froze. This was like before. Her eyes stung, feeling tears forming in her eyes.

"What's the matter? Too scared to run away?" Kamoshida mocked Akira.

Akira said nothing.

"Hmp. I'll deal with you later then." Kamoshida's grin widened at Akira and suddenly she felt shivers running down her spine. Kamoshida turned to Sakamoto. "I'll focus on this one's execution…"

The guards hoisted Sakamoto's body and Kamoshida approached Sakamoto. "Take this!" He kept punching him hard on the face, making Sakamoto cry out in pain.

"Lowly scum!" Kamoshida yelled.

"Useless pest!"

" _I need do something!"_ She could feel tears trickling down her face.

Sakamoto collapse on the ground and coughed badly from the beatings.

Kamoshida looked down on him and spat on his face. "…Hmph. Where'd your energy from earlier go?"

The guard picked him up and threw him effortlessly down the ground.

"Ugh!" Sakamoto yelped.

"A peasant like you isn't worth beating any further. " Kamoshida huffed. "I'll have you killed right now."

"S-stop it!" Akira yelped.

"Hm." Kamoshida glanced back at the girl in disinterest.

"Stop it, dammit!" She said more courageously.

"What…? Don't you dare tell me you don't know who I am?" Kamoshida's face twisted in anger.

Akira whipped the remaining tears on her eyes, and glared at Kamoshida with anger. Her fear replaced with determination. She didn't know where it came from but she knew she had to save Sakamoto.

"That look in your eye irritates me!" He kicked her on the stomach, making throwing Akira on the wall. She grunted in pain from the impact. Despite being kicked, she glared back to Kamoshida. "Hold her there… After the peasant, I'll punish this one severely."

She stood, slightly stumbling but tried to rush herself in to save Sakamoto. The guards held her back at slammed her to the wall. Akira choked from the impact.

Kamoshida approached Sakamoto and laugh.

"I don't wanna die!" Sakamoto cried.

" _I- I need to do something!"_ Akira gritted her teeth. _"Fuck it! I don't care! I need to save him! I… need to…"_ Akira didn't know what to do. She didn't have power to save him. She was useless.

" _Is everything worth it?"_ She remembered the time when she save the woman from being harassed.

" _Is risking myself to save people even… worth it?"_

" _This is truly an unjust game… Your chances of winning are almost none."_ A gentle boyish voice spoke and blue butterfly clouded her sight.

It fluttered softly, soothing Akira's raging mind. _"But if my voice is reaching you, there may yet be a possibility open to you..."_

" _Is everything worth it?"_ Another voice spoke, it sounded familiar but Akira couldn't remember where she heard it.

" _What's the matter…? Are you simply going to watch?"_ It spoke in an intoxicating voice. " _Are you forsaking him to save yourself?"_

" _Death awaits him if you do nothing."_ The voice continued _._

" _Was your previous decision worth everything?"_ Flashes of the recent incident that made her who she is right now flashed in her mind.

" _Yes…"_ She muttered. _"Yes it was!"_ The uncertainty in her mind vanished and was replaced with resolve. It didn't matter that it made her a criminal. In the back of her mind, she knew that she did what was right and she didn't regret it. No matter what people tell her, she didn't regret that action she made that day.

The guard raised Sakomoto, sword ready in hand to execute him.

Akira squirmed, trying to pry away from the guards.

" _Very well… I have heeded your resolve."_ The voice spoke.

Suddenly her body felt intense pain. She gasped sharply, unable to take the painful experience.

" _Vow to me."_

The pain was getting more intense. Her knees wobbled, and her head felt like it was being cracked open.

" _I am thou, thou art I…_ _Thou who art willing to perform sacrilegious acts for thine own justice! Call upon my name, and release thy rage!"_

She let out a grueling scream.

" _Show the strength of thy will to ascertain all on thine own, though thou be chained to Hell itself!"_

" **Execute him."** Kamoshida ordered.

"That's enough!" Akira yelled.

"What was that?" Kamoshida turned around to face the raven haired girl. "Do you value your life or not? I had enough of your stupid antics."

He slowly approached her. "Do you desire to be killed that much..? Fine!" He looked at the guards, signaling them to execute Akira.

A guard slammed its shield to her, making her glasses fly out of her face. They slammed her to the wall and locked her in a cage of spears.

Sakamoto groaned as he helplessly watch the girl be executed in place of him. He wanted to intervene but was too weak to even speak.

Kamoshida extended his arm, signaling the guard to execute the poor raven haired girl. It raised its sword, ready to take away the girl's life.

Akira jolted her eyes open and released a powerful wave inside the room, making the guards back away from her. Kamoshida covered his eyes from the blast and when it finally subsided, he quickly glanced back at her.

A white mask with black rims on the eyes decorated her face. She blinked in confusion and touched the mask. Something ushered her to pull the mask, which she obediently did.

It felt like it was glued on her face. She tried to pry it away as hard as she could. Finally it was starting to rip away but as she was ripping it, it also felt like she was ripping her face out with it. The pain was excruciating, blood squirted out as she finally tore it away from her face. She screamed in agony, but immediately relieved when it was gone.

She slowly glanced up to Kamoshida, lips smiling wildly at him. Her eyes glowed eerie yellow which made Kamoshida alarmed.

Blue flames erupted from Akira and the blood from her face vanished. Blue flames engulfed her and a mysterious laugh echoed around the cell.

The guards backed away from her, pointing their arms cautiously to her. Sakamoto's eyes widen as he watch the display.

The flame separated itself away from Akira, revealing the girl in a different outfit from before.

The blue flames materialized a humanoid, chains shackling around it. The humanoid creature looked female with large black wings, a red Victorian trench coat traveled down until its legs, a black vest fitted tight around its voluptuous body and a tall top hat sat on its head. It extended its red gloved fingers towards the enemy.

Akira smirked and commanded the humanoid creature to attack the enemies. The creature obeyed and sent a large gust, using its wings– knocking back the guards and Kamoshida.

Kamoshida scrambled away in fright.

Sakamoto stared in awe as he watched the guards get knocked out. He couldn't believe his eyes.

Power coursed through Akira and she couldn't stop smirking.

"I am the pillager of twilight– 'Arsene'!" It spoke, flaunting its enormous wings as it introduced itself.

"What the…" Sakamoto couldn't form words in his mouth. He couldn't help but stare in disbelief at the creature in front of him.

"I am the rebel's soul that resides within you." Arsene spoke with glee. "If you so desire, I shall consider granting you the power to break through this crisis."

"Grant me your power, Arsene!" Akira commanded.

"Hmph, very well..." Arsene uttered.

"Who the hell are you…!?" Kamoshida said.

"Guards!" Kamoshida commanded. "Start by killing that one!"

The guards suddenly transformed into flying creatures with pumpkins as a head.

"You'll learn the true strength of my men!" Kamoshida grinned.

"Bring it on!" Akira yelled in determination.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woah it's like 2 am and I have school later but I decided to finish this lmao.
> 
> Sorry if it took so long, I was busy with school : Also sorry if I have errors, I kinda do this at night since I don't have a lot of time...
> 
> Anyways here it is!
> 
> Can you guess where I took Percy and Henry's name from? Virtual cookies if you got it correct! It's easy actually.
> 
> Anyways here are some trivia from the asterisks.
> 
> *The reason why Akechi whined is because conveyor belt sushi doesn't taste as fine as sushi made in front of you by the chef which was shown in the game (The part where they got the gold suitcase and they partied in a sushi place). Though it doesn't mean that conveyor belt sushi isn't good. It's affordable and good for large families.
> 
> *Hafu is a term used when one is half Japanese, half (something). Ann is a hafu, as exclaimed in the game though I don't think it said what her ethnic was though. So being a hafu is kind of hard in Japan, since Japanese people don't like things that stick out like a sore thumb and they have a saying which is "nail that sticks up will be hammered down". One example is the representative of Japan in 2015 Ariana Miyamoto. Some Japanese people didn't want her as a representative because she didn't look 'Japanese' enough, but many others though loved her and that proves that Japan is slowly becoming a country that accepts hafus. The reason why Ann was bullied is because she is different. (Unlike my culture which worships Hafus, especially if they're beautiful lmao). Though not all hafus get bullied though!
> 
> Anyways, if you wanna see how female Arsene's clothes might look like, try googling Lady Maria from Bloodborne. Arsene looks kinda like that.


End file.
